Bartlesville teenager sentenced to 17 years for toddler's murder
TULSA, OK - In a heart-wrenching case, a Cherokee teenager, Terry Nathan Hindman, 19, was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for the second-degree murder of a 23-month-old toddler.
“This young child suffered horrible abuse and a tragic death from the abuse of Terry Hindman,” U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to fight for justice against those who harm Oklahoma’s children.”
The details of this case are nothing short of harrowing. During his May 9 plea, Hindman admitted he caused the injuries that led to the death of the child.
On September 29, 2021, Hindman, in a horrifying act of violence, threw the toddler across the room with excessive force, causing severe injuries.
The child hit his head on the wall and landed on a table, leaving him dazed. Hindman neither sought medical attention for the child nor informed anyone about the incident, even when the child was later taken to the hospital on the same day.
On October 2, 2021, while under Hindman's care again, the toddler started experiencing medical issues, including difficulty breathing.
Once more, Hindman failed to seek medical help and didn't disclose the previous injury to anyone. The child's health deteriorated rapidly, leading to his untimely death on October 7, 2021, succumbing to blunt force trauma, a direct result of the initial injury inflicted on him by Hindman.
“You can’t possibly make up for the damage you’ve done, but moving forward you can try,” U.S. District Chief Judge John F. Heil III said while addressing Hindman.
Before the sentencing, the child's father addressed the court, expressing his anguish and despair.
“I fear he enjoyed giving him something to cry about,” the child's father said, “What possible excuse could you have for torturing a child?”
Hindman will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal Service pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bartlesville Police Department and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle Dial and Shannon Cozzoni prosecuted the case
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville teenager sentenced to 17 years for toddler's murder
